Documents for AOS interview - advice needed

[Mrs Slade 1]

Hello everyone :-) little advice requested here !

Got date for interview and list of documents to be provided.

I'm not worried with all documents already provided copies or originals but what is bothering me is that we don't have much of what they call 'support evidence of relationship'.

My husband was living with his mother for years and, right now we still do, so, rental, utilities bills are all at her name.

We cannot afford any health or life insurance right now and he didn't have any at his job either.

Only thing with both our names on it is for the car we bought and insurance on it.

Of course we have photos but that's about it.

We have been married only for 3 months so difficult to have much.

We don't have joined bank account yet.

Do you think this might cause any sort of problem ?

Thanks so much in advance for all those who will take the time to answer me !

[Inky 1,110]

Did you have the mother write up a living agreement? showing how long you lived there what payments you make towards what services are used etc.

[Jordandawg05 13]

Hello everyone :-) little advice requested here !

Got date for interview and list of documents to be provided.

I'm not worried with all documents already provided copies or originals but what is bothering me is that we don't have much of what they call 'support evidence of relationship'.

My husband was living with his mother for years and, right now we still do, so, rental, utilities bills are all at her name.

We cannot afford any health or life insurance right now and he didn't have any at his job either.

Only thing with both our names on it is for the car we bought and insurance on it.

Of course we have photos but that's about it.

We have been married only for 3 months so difficult to have much.

We don't have joined bank account yet.

Do you think this might cause any sort of problem ?

Thanks so much in advance for all those who will take the time to answer me !

It may raise flags , but i would try to show mingling financials...i would go to his bank and get the joint account started , it doesn't take long. I added my wife in one visit that took 30 minutes to my bank.

did you guys go on any trips together? show iteneraries , hotel receipts..etc.

You can try to get affidavits from people who attended wedding as well. how about letters or emails that show your relationship before you got married?

[Mrs Slade 1]

Did you have the mother write up a living agreement? showing how long you lived there what payments you make towards what services are used etc.

I have been here just a few months but I thought she might write a letter stating that I've been here 5 times those past years for visits (3 months each time), always lived with them and so....

My husband help her financially but it's not noted no where.

[Mrs Slade 1]

It may raise flags , but i would try to show mingling financials...i would go to his bank and get the joint account started , it doesn't take long. I added my wife in one visit that took 30 minutes to my bank.

did you guys go on any trips together? show iteneraries , hotel receipts..etc.

You can try to get affidavits from people who attended wedding as well. how about letters or emails that show your relationship before you got married?

Thanks for taking the time to answer :-)

I have always been financially independent and still I'm. Never depended on no one and always took care of everything by myself. That's weird for me that just have joined bank account will prove some kind of commitment. That's my pride to act by myself been raised and always been like that.

Europe probably more different from US in that way.

I got some copies of previous trips together but haven't take all those papers with me when moving :-( left them in Belgium !

When we get married it was just the 3 of us (with his mum).

As long as Green card is not confirmed, we didn't want to move in our own place because, if unfortunately something go wrong then what ? i will have to go back to Belgium.

Our project is to move and start a life together when we know for sure that I'm allowed to stay.

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

I have been here just a few months but I thought she might write a letter stating that I've been here 5 times those past years for visits (3 months each time), always lived with them and so....

My husband help her financially but it's not noted no where.

Just have her write an affidavit stating that you live with her in her home and all utilities are in her name. She can include info that you(as a married couple) contribute to the upkeep of the house and bills. No need to list a specific monthly amount if you do not know of one or it fluctuates. She can mention the visits you had there with your then fiance in her home, and that you have now been living with her as a married couple.

That affidavit will be in place of a rental agreement/utility bills. Have your husband put you on his bank account. Take proof of that. Have you filed taxes since being married? Take a copy of the joint taxes. Any cell phone plans with you both on it? Cards addressed to both of you? Copies of drivers licenses or state IDs showing you both reside at the same address? Just gather what you can that shows co-mingling and that you reside at the same address. They tend to understand that you do not have a lot of evidence when you are first married, but they will most likely want to see some things that are common, such as joint accounts and documents showing you reside together.

[Mrs Slade 1]

Just have her write an affidavit stating that you live with her in her home and all utilities are in her name. She can include info that you(as a married couple) contribute to the upkeep of the house and bills. No need to list a specific monthly amount if you do not know of one or it fluctuates. She can mention the visits you had there with your then fiance in her home, and that you have now been living with her as a married couple.

That affidavit will be in place of a rental agreement/utility bills. Have your husband put you on his bank account. Take proof of that. Have you filed taxes since being married? Take a copy of the joint taxes. Any cell phone plans with you both on it? Cards addressed to both of you? Copies of drivers licenses or state IDs showing you both reside at the same address? Just gather what you can that shows co-mingling and that you reside at the same address. They tend to understand that you do not have a lot of evidence when you are first married, but they will most likely want to see some things that are common, such as joint accounts and documents showing you reside together.

Will follow advice for mother-in-law affidavit :-)

Husband was unemployed for a few years and got his present job for a year now. No taxes filled yet.

That's funny how here in US to be 'validated' you need to have so many things together : bank, phone, bills... it's a world apart from Belgium and it's very difficult for me to get used to that. I have received mail at our current address and of course he has too.

Gotta try to make the most of it but being in my 50' (not a secret anymore) had already a life and being pushed to prove that I'm in a 'sincere' relationship.... that's so obvious for me. Who would leave her/his country with more advantage than you could have in US if not for love ? really I had more advantages staying secure in Belgium than start from zero in here.

I got money, and I love my husband... he is working to make us a nice life together...

That's sad that is not even enough.

Thank you for your always wise advices that I will follow.

Take care and let's get in touch

Vivi

[yonglin 1]

I really hear you on the joint bank account thing -- I've never heard of anyone doing that back home (but then again, we also don't do paper checks or joint taxes...). However, the key point is: if that's what USCIS wants, then that's what USCIS gets. They're bureaucrats and they like ticking boxes. It's not personal.

So as suggested by the above posters, take your husband to the bank. Adding your husband to your account or adding yourself to his (or both) doesn't really mean you need to use each other's bank cards. Just use the money to pay for bills/expenses/etc. as usual. Also, make each other authorized users on the other's credit card (this one is easy -- maybe just a phone call). Most importantly, do all of this now so that statements are issued by the time of your interview.

Given that your interview is in March, preparing and filing a joint tax return before then would definitely be a good thing.

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

Will follow advice for mother-in-law affidavit :-)

Husband was unemployed for a few years and got his present job for a year now. No taxes filled yet.

That's funny how here in US to be 'validated' you need to have so many things together : bank, phone, bills... it's a world apart from Belgium and it's very difficult for me to get used to that. I have received mail at our current address and of course he has too.

Gotta try to make the most of it but being in my 50' (not a secret anymore) had already a life and being pushed to prove that I'm in a 'sincere' relationship.... that's so obvious for me. Who would leave her/his country with more advantage than you could have in US if not for love ? really I had more advantages staying secure in Belgium than start from zero in here.

I got money, and I love my husband... he is working to make us a nice life together...

That's sad that is not even enough.

Thank you for your always wise advices that I will follow.

Take care and let's get in touch

Vivi

I agree. Joint accounts do not really prove a valid marriage. But for immigration and USCIS, they do. My credit union's policy would not add my husband to my accounts because one of them was a checking. I explained to the lady that we needed a joint account to prove we had a real marriage for immigration. She thought it was silly too and explained she and her husband had been married for many years and never had a joint bank account together. She said their marriage is quite real. She did get us set up with a new joint savings account and said we could just add him to my checking account when he was approved for his green card. That is just what we did, and closed the other unneeded savings account.

Immigration relies on co-mingling of finances, so get a joint account(s) and file your taxes jointly so you have proof of all these things not only for the AOS interview, but for removal of conditions a little less than 2 years from now. As the poster above stated, also add each other as users on your credit cards too and name each other as beneficiaries on insurance.

[Mrs Slade 1]

I agree. Joint accounts do not really prove a valid marriage. But for immigration and USCIS, they do. My credit union's policy would not add my husband to my accounts because one of them was a checking. I explained to the lady that we needed a joint account to prove we had a real marriage for immigration. She thought it was silly too and explained she and her husband had been married for many years and never had a joint bank account together. She said their marriage is quite real. She did get us set up with a new joint savings account and said we could just add him to my checking account when he was approved for his green card. That is just what we did, and closed the other unneeded savings account.

Immigration relies on co-mingling of finances, so get a joint account(s) and file your taxes jointly so you have proof of all these things not only for the AOS interview, but for removal of conditions a little less than 2 years from now. As the poster above stated, also add each other as users on your credit cards too and name each other as beneficiaries on insurance.

Thanks again for your time.

Good and wise advices as usual :-)

Have a very good day

I really hear you on the joint bank account thing -- I've never heard of anyone doing that back home (but then again, we also don't do paper checks or joint taxes...). However, the key point is: if that's what USCIS wants, then that's what USCIS gets. They're bureaucrats and they like ticking boxes. It's not personal.

So as suggested by the above posters, take your husband to the bank. Adding your husband to your account or adding yourself to his (or both) doesn't really mean you need to use each other's bank cards. Just use the money to pay for bills/expenses/etc. as usual. Also, make each other authorized users on the other's credit card (this one is easy -- maybe just a phone call). Most importantly, do all of this now so that statements are issued by the time of your interview.

Given that your interview is in March, preparing and filing a joint tax return before then would definitely be a good thing.

Thanks for your comment and suggestions highly appreciated :-)

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

They understand that newlyweds don't have a lot of evidence.

You are already approved for the K-1, so you will be approved for GC if your marriage is real. There is no need to wait to start your lives on that.

It's fine to be independent, but once you start paying rent as a family and taking care of a house, medical, etc, a joint account makes a lot of sense. Do you plan to split everything and pay eachother back?

[Mrs Slade 1]

They understand that newlyweds don't have a lot of evidence.

You are already approved for the K-1, so you will be approved for GC if your marriage is real. There is no need to wait to start your lives on that.

It's fine to be independent, but once you start paying rent as a family and taking care of a house, medical, etc, a joint account makes a lot of sense. Do you plan to split everything and pay eachother back?

Thanks for taking the time to answer.

My marriage is surely for real because at 50' years old believe me I won't put myself into that situation if it wasn't for love. I have more years behind me than ahead and life has not been very fair lately so, I surely know what I do.

Being my age I'm also more realistic and down on earth, never took something for granted and think further, seeing also the possibility that for an unknown reason my GC would be refused.

Therefore my only option would be to go back to Belgium.

If we are waiting to search for an apartment and still living with his mum is that I want to be sure that my stay will be on legal basis.

What's the point to rent, buy furniture and so if something went wrong.

It is also obvious that when we have own place and start to pay our own utilities, everything will be joined and even so, most american people that I know don't even have joined account.

Everyone is dealing with this the way they want, knowing what's best for them.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Okay, I am trying to assure you your AOS won't be denied if you can fill out the forms properly, but you can think what you want. Good day.